It's no longer enough to rank your CPG website for certain keywords and phrases. Google now wants you to optimize for the "intent" of the consumer. When you don’t have a storefront, and your consumers aren't physically present, how can CPG marketing illustrate an understanding of customer intent?
CPG Marketing and Customer Intangibles
The easy fix here is for CPG marketing to take data from brick and mortar establishments. Marketers have done a nice job creating brand loyalty from the in-store experience. Since most brands are listed on e-commerce sites as a secondary offering, there is already captured data that can be extrapolated to meet Google’s new search ranking requirements.
The problem for CPG marketing has been in translating the in-store immediacy into online e-commerce. Companies compete for the best shelf placement in-house precisely because there is an element of "grab it and go" when consumers are in the store and ready to purchase. CPG marketers have recreated this element with online digital advertising like ads, email messages, and social posts, to allow consumers the one-click "grab and go" experience.
How Intent Differs With E-Commerce
The problem is that a lot of people don’t immediately add the item to their shopping list as soon as they see the ad. Total Retail says, “Purchase intent fades between the moment of interest and when the shopping list is actually written.” Defining purchase intent during the e-commerce experience by pointing their clicks to a specific short route of conversion is a good way to respond to the latest Google search engine changes. Think With Google says people use digital in the following ways:
- 43% of shoppers used their search features.
- 25% converted to the sale from a brand website or mobile app.
- 40% purchased from the brand’s video ad.
Strategies for CPG Marketers
CPG marketing must focus on sending consumers to a useful destination for a product purchase based on their keywords. Think With Google said one-quarter of shoppers who used brand websites or mobile apps to browse or research ended up spending 108% more than shoppers that didn’t.
We know CPG shoppers search multiple times to visit numerous destinations online, so brands must work hard to update their websites frequently to keep them relevant, useful, and interesting. This includes making a strong showing with video on sites like YouTube to increase conversions. According to Think With Google, CPG customers that watched a brand on YouTube report spending 40% more than consumers that didn’t. Video content has shown exponential growth over the past few years; CPG marketing should pay close attention to these trends.
Technology continues to shift CPG marketing strategies. There are too many disruptors in the market today to rely on reputation alone to sell more products. Putting products on store shelves isn’t the best way to reach your customers. Creating intentional websites with valuable content will have a considerable impact on the bottom line. That is especially true now that Google’s search rankings have grown more tied to customer intent.
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Topics CPG Trends